


stay strong, my atlas

by spartona



Series: fault lines [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alien boyfriends, Altean Lance (Voltron), Altean Prince Lance (Voltron), Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Based during alteas destruction, Bisexual Allura (Voltron), Bisexual Lance (Voltron), But they have nicknames, Captain of the Guard (Voltron), Character Death, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Galra Keith (Voltron), Galra Shiro (Voltron), Gay Keith (Voltron), How Do I Tag, It was supposed to be a brief mention but it got a scene lmao, Keith calls Lance his Atlas, Keith is Kythal, Keith is Zarkon's assassin/spy, Lance is Landor, Langst, Lieutenant Keith (Voltron), Loyalty, M/M, Monster's and Mana, Non-Binary Narti (Voltron), Parallels? Me? Always, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Prince Lance (Voltron), Protective Keith (Voltron), References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Smitten Keith (Voltron), That Slight Galra Racism, There's fluff too I promise, birthday fic, galtean klance, happy birthday ya filthy animal, they are both idiots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:55:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27824119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spartona/pseuds/spartona
Summary: “Holy shit.” Lance stares at his courtier with wide eyes, mouth open. “You’re-”“Not a lieutenant.”“Holy shit I’m courting a spy.”“Assassin.”“Holy shit I’m courting an assassin.”---Or: Landor is the captain of the Altean Royal Guard, a master of illusion alchemy, and the best sharpshooter in the quadrant. Kythal is the Emperor's spy and assassin, rumored to have a heart of stone and blood of ice. A truce between their people brings them together, and a thirst for power reveals where their true loyalties lie.
Relationships: Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Alfor/Allura's Mother (Voltron), Ezor/Zethrid (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron), Zarkon/Honerva (Voltron)
Series: fault lines [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2051625
Comments: 29
Kudos: 158





	1. i.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [itoldyounottoeatthesoap](https://archiveofourown.org/users/itoldyounottoeatthesoap/gifts).



> This is for my lovely platonic soulmate, Lena. Happy birthday! I love you, angel!!! It's a little late, but here are some more highly unrealistic relationship expectations! <3333 .
> 
> Special shoutout to my friend, Bitter, for betaing!
> 
> For some extra feels, listen to "Earth" by Sleeping At Last.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alfor sent Zarkon a look the captain couldn’t decipher. Alright, so Alfor knew who this lieutenant was. Landor had never heard of this Shiro, let alone a Kythal. Alfor continued. “This is Landor,” He gestured to the captain. “You two will be working closely together during your stay here.”
> 
> The two made eye contact, both examining the other, a challenge in their eyes. This, Landor thought, would be entertaining.

**i.**

_“There was a war between the Titans and the gods. A war against one’s flesh and bone. A war to determine who would rightfully rule the domains. When it came to a close and the gods were declared the victors, one titan was punished to hold up the sky.”_

**↞ ↠**

The two collided as enemies.

Though a peace treaty had been signed- a truce after years of wars between their home planets- it didn’t erase the pain, the bad memories, or the hatred that would remain for generations. It was the beginning of an era to heal. The beginning of a promise of love and harmony. But it would take time, as most things did, for both sides to heal properly. or both sides to not look at the other with fear, or hatred, or anger, or sadness.

People had been lost, thousands of people. Whether to death or a dark mental void.

To help bridge the gap between the Galra and the Alteans, King Alfor created his team of heroes, of peacekeepers. He brought together the leaders of four other planets, and together they managed to put aside their differences for a common goal. Peace, not just for their people, but for the entire quadrant. Maybe, just maybe, for the galaxy.

A bond was formed between Alfor and Zarkon, the leaders of rival planets forming a friendship and connection that would have their ancestors flabbergasted. Their friendship brought a type of wary contentment between their people- a bond between leaders was a start, but moving on was an individual’s task.

And if any individuals needed to move on, it was the royal court. The leaders set an example but with nobles, servants, and other important figures who resided in the castle still casting looks of hate every time the Emperor visited, it made it appear not all those in the palace agreed with the King’s actions. The contention could spring up a drizzle through the planet until a rebellion was brought up and the peace was shattered.

Yes, the Galra did horrendous things, but a new age was trying to be brought about without contribution from the majority of the people, the peace would be shattered and the species would dissolve into war. And the gods know that Altea had already seen enough war. Which led to the leader’s plan; they would each send chosen soldiers to reside in the other’s palace in a hope that connections could be formed. Perhaps, through exposure and time, the intertwining species would become normal. 

This leads to the collision, the Captain of the Royal Altean Guard and a Galra that Zarkon titled the leader of the group he sent.

Captain Landor had told himself, for the sake of his beloved royal family, to keep an open mind to the Galra. Zarkon seemed kind enough- though Landor went out of his way to avoid the Emperor and spoke to him through gritted teeth- and Alfor seemed keen that the temporary movement of soldiers would prove that the Galra weren’t as bad as they all thought. Landor disagreed, but didn’t voice it. 

The captain’s first thought had been to use his alchemy to scare the Galra away. It was possible to achieve peace and ignore each other in the process- he and his siblings did it all the time. The Altean watched, masking his face to hide his disgust, as the Galran soldiers exited the ship. The soldiers Landor had decided to send to Daibazaal stood to his right, clearly uneasy. The exchange only called for five troops from each side, and when Landor asked for volunteers everyone was reluctant. He didn’t want to send anyone who didn’t want to and trying to convince five soldiers to go was tricky.

Two of them were older, would be retiring in a few deca-pheobs, and the other three were fresh. They had finished training after the peace treaty was signed and had yet to see proper action. It was nice that they were going, they weren’t as against the Galra as the other soldiers. They didn't instantly see their brothers and sisters dying by their hand when they saw the purple fur.

Landor set his jaw at the thought, grinding his teeth. 

The first thing Landor noticed was that all the soldiers were halflings. It was easy to tell with the Galra- they tended to lack the abundance of fur full-breeds did. Normally they showed features of their other race but in a purple pallet. The majority of them seemed to be half Altean and that...Landor tried not to think about that. The man who appeared to be the leader of the group was slightly shorter than the rest, his skin a paler purple. His ebony hair was up in a ponytail that reached his shoulders, dressed in a tighter fitted armor than his comrades. Black, fingerless gloves adorned his hands. The only Galra features he had (other than the purple color) were the ears and claws.

The half-Galra examined the gathered Alteans with a narrowed gaze, eyes flitting from one to the other. He walked beside Zarkon, who greeted Alfor with a firm handshake and a smile. The man beside him crossed his arms as he came to a stop, meeting Landor’s gaze. He raised an eyebrow. “Captain?”

The captain nodded in confirmation. “And you?”

The man tilted his head slightly. “Not important.”

Landor’s brows furrowed, mouth opened to protest when Zarkon chuckled. “Play nice, Kythal.”

Kythal scowled, leveling a look at Landor. “Lieutenant.”

Landor couldn’t help the smirk that formed on his face at the rank difference. Alfor spoke, voice almost cautious. “Kythal?” Alfor raised an eyebrow at the name, “Shiro’s brother?”

The lieutenant set his jaw. “Yes.”

Alfor sent Zarkon a look the captain couldn’t decipher. Alright, so Alfor knew who this lieutenant was. Landor had never heard of this Shiro, let alone a Kythal. Alfor continued. “This is Landor,” He gestured to the captain. “You two will be working closely together during your stay here.”

The two made eye contact, both examining the other, a challenge in their eyes. This, Landor thought, would be entertaining. 

**↞ ↠**

At first, Landor didn’t take the ‘You’ll be working closely together’ seriously. He really should have, but he didn’t. It wasn’t until that first meeting after the Galra arrived that the words began to take root.

The first occurrence was at the Representative Meeting a week after the exchange. The leader of each Sector was there, along with allied planet representatives. The representative for the Hanyv Sector was having trouble with a criminal group and was hoping the King could help.

Kythal had walked into the meeting- late, Landor would like to note- with a scowl, he sat down next to Landor, looking pissed. He spent the entire meeting glaring at the table, and part of Landor was impressed he didn’t growl. Galra did that, right? Nobody dared address him, except Alfor, who the captain decided must have a death wish.

“Lieutenant Kythal?” The King asked. They’d just figured out how to help aid the Hanyv Sector, who’d been undergoing a drought. “Is everything alright?”

The entire room seemed to tense and go still. The low purr of the hologram filled the uneasy silence. The room was full of Alteans and the planet’s ally’s representatives. Nearly everyone there’s planet had been attacked by the Galra- quiznack, only recently had Altea helped remove all Galra presence from Olkarion, the representative of which had been on edge since Kythal walked in. 

Even Princess Allura, who had been the most open-minded next only to Alfor, was tense. 

The lieutenant closed his eyes, taking a shallow breath. Despite himself, Landor started to worry. “Just peachy, your Highness.” Alfor raised a disbelieving eyebrow. The lieutenant sighed, too tired to argue. “My soldiers and I are still adjusting to the lights.”

Landor’s brows furrowed. Adjusting...to the light? Alfor seemed to understand, grimacing. “My apologies. I assumed since you are half-breeds it wouldn’t be that bad-”

“Normally it wouldn’t be. But considering how long we’ve been dealing with it…” He trailed off. Everyone else in the room seemed confused except Alfor. 

“I see. Apologies, I hadn’t even thought...is there anything we’d be able to do to help?”

“In a few days, our eyes should be adjusted.”

Wait, so the Galra...were nocturnal? “We could adjust the lights in the barracks,” He found himself suggesting, “at least then it won’t be as bright as in chambers and during training. I have a feeling Alteans could adjust to some darkness with less pain than Galra adjusting to the light. Plus, it’d be a nice exercise.”

Kythal examined him for a moment, something curious in his gaze, before nodding.

“Well, now that that’s settled…”

  
  
  


After the meeting, Kythal left quickly. Landor got away as soon as possible, sending an apologetic glance to the Princess, and raced after him. He found the half Galra in a darker corridor not far from the meeting room, head and arm braced against the wall. His other hand rubbed the back of his head. Landor slowed his pace, cautious. He...didn’t look good. 

The lieutenant looked up as the Altean got closer, a scowl instantly taking over his pained expression. Was it the lights? Landor frowned slightly. “Lieutenant...is everything okay?”

The Galra’s scowl deepened as he glared at the captain. “Everything’s fine.”

“I...Is it the lights?” The other man just glared, eyes narrowing further, and that was answer enough for Landor. “You didn’t mention it was causing you pain.”

“It’s not.” He snapped, “It’s fine.”

“Are your soldiers hurt too?”

“...Some of them. I gave them the day to rest.”

“If it’s this bad why weren’t you going to say anything?”

“Forgive me for not thinking that the race my people have been fighting my entire life would do anything.”

Landor opened his mouth to protest, before thinking better of it. He’d have the same mindset towards the Galra, wouldn’t he? If he was in Kythal’s place, he would’ve assumed the same thing. He’d try to solve the problem himself. “I bet Alfor would lower the light intensity throughout the castle-”

“Captain-”

“-We have several empty wings we could keep dark that you could all stay in. Maybe there’s some sort of alchemy Alfor and Honerva could do to help us see in the dark or you guys see in the light? Or-”

“Captain-”

“-maybe Zarkon has, like, tips and tricks for dealing with light? He’s here all the time and I haven’t even noticed him get a headache or anything. But, then again, Zarkon doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would show pain-”

“Landor.”  
  
That got the Altean’s attention. He stopped mid-sentence, working his jaw for a moment. “Um, yes?”

“I…” The Galra stared at him for a moment. He wasn’t glaring or scowling anymore, just examined him with confusion. “Thank you.”

Landor couldn’t stop the small smile that took over his face. “Yeah. No problem. Besides, if you guys decide to attack us, it wouldn’t be fair if you aren’t at 100.”

Kythal deadpanned. “I take it back.”

**↞ ↠**

For the most part, the Galra and Altean soldiers avoided each other during training. The Galra had their way to train- faster, longer, harder- and the Alteans had theirs. It wasn’t until Alfor had asked him to exchange fighting techniques that Landor even approached the Galra lieutenant outside of a meeting or group.

Which leads to the second occurrence.

The captain and lieutenant in the meeting room, trying to figure out a training regimen both their soldiers can use. That is if the two could even get along. They spent the first part of their meeting in silence, Landor muttering half-hearted apologies as he finished up reports on his tablet. Kythal decided to do the same, and when that was done…

More silence. Lots of silence.

It could’ve been a few things; they hadn’t paid attention to each other’s training, so they didn’t know what to incorporate. Maybe they just didn’t like each other- well, Landor didn’t like Kythal. Kythal was fairly indifferent about the captain- and didn’t want to talk. The Altean opened his mouth, about to speak, when the door to the room slid open.

“Lance, there you are. Father wanted me to- oh. Lieutenant.” Allura blinked, flustered. The door hissed as it slid closed behind her. “I wasn’t aware you would be here.”

“It was a last-minute meeting.” Kythal paused. “Your Highness.”

“I see.” She looked at Landor. “Er, _Captain,_ ” She corrected, “King Alfor wanted me to make sure you’re set for the excursion to Arus?”

The captain’s brows furrowed. “To where?”

“You’ve got to be kidding.” The two Alteans stared at each other for a long moment, disbelief coloring the princess’s features. After a moment she sighed. “The place with the cuddly dwarves with deep voices?”

“ _Oh,_ yeah, just about.”

Allura rolled her eyes, a fond smile on her lips. “And that’s easier than remembering Arus because…?”

“I’m bad with names, you know this.”

The princess scoffed, crossing her arms. “Any estimate as to when everything will be ready?”

“By tonight. Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“Maybe.”

“Dear gods,” Allura said, exasperated. “Just...you and the escort be ready by tonight for the sake of my sanity.”

“You know, everything would be a lot easier if you just stopped holding onto it.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Considering how that’s going for you, I’ll pass.”

“I’m taking that as a compliment.”

The princess chuckled, moving to leave. She hesitated at the door before turning to nod a farewell to Kythal. The door slid close behind her, silence filling the room until-

“Are you one of her suitors?”

Landor sputtered, surprised. “What?”

“Allura. The princess.” Kythal’s brows furrowed, as if the question was obvious, “You’re one of her suitors?”

The captain gaped, “I…’Lura’s my sister.”

“I... _you’re the prince_?”

“Adopted prince.”

“That’s still a prince. Right? I...I’m not sure how… being adopted into a royal family works in Altea.”

“How does it work in Daibazaal?”

“As long as they hold their own in battle, we don’t give a shit.”

“Why do I get the feeling it’s like that with most things with you guys?”

“Because it is.”

Landor laughed. Something about the easy back and forth with the lieutenant was...nice. But...he wasn’t supposed to get along with the Galra. They’d killed countless of his...his _family,_ he wasn’t supposed to enjoy easy conversation with them. So why was he? “It’s not a big deal.” He answers, a guarded tone now edging his voice, “I’m older than Allura, but I gave up the throne.”

“Why?”

“I...It’s a long story. We should...figure this out so Alfor doesn’t have our heads.”

**↞ ↠**

The third occurrence happened in the library.

Kythal sat at a table in the farthest corner- Lando wouldn’t have spotted him if he hadn’t been looking for him. The half-Galra was slouching in the seat, at least five books stacked next to him- each volume dense and left a familiar anxious feeling in Landor’s stomach. He was getting flashbacks to his diplomatic studies.

He was about to leave, leaving the lieutenant to his own devices, but the captain hesitated, scratching the back of his neck before heading over to Kythal’s table. He scanned the titles of the books until something clicked.

“You’re...reading about Altea’s history?”

Kythal looked up, blinking slowly once as if coming out of a trance. “Uh, yeah.”

“Huh.”

The lieutenant scowled. “What?”

“Nothing I just...didn’t peg you as a history nerd.” Landor couldn’t help the soft chuckle that slipped past his lips, causing Kythal’s scowl to deepen.

“I’m not.” He snapped, defensive. “Just...interested.”

Landor hummed. “Why?”

“Because it’s interesting.”

“That’s what a history nerd would say.”

Kythal sighed, clearly reaching the end of his patience with the captain. “I’m not a history nerd, I just...My dad was a scholar. He used to tell me all sorts of stories about Daibazaal and Altea.”

“Oh.” The Altean tilted his head, curious. “He was Galra?”

“Altean.”

Landor couldn’t help but grimace. “...Slave?” Because what else would it be? Nearly everyone on Altea knew it wasn’t uncommon for the Galra to take prisoners for their own... purposes. Kythal grimaced with him, something almost apologetic in his gaze. 

“He was at first.”

Landor raised a questioning eyebrow. 

“My mother fell in love with him. Gave him freedom. People didn’t like it, but…” Kythal shrugged.

“He could hold his own in battle so they didn’t give a shit?”

Kythal barked out a laugh, quickly covering his mouth and looking mortified with himself. Landor couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him at the reaction. The lieutenant still looked mortified, but a small smile slowly made its way across his lips. “Oh, gods…yes.”

That only made the captain laugh harder, missing the way Kythal’s expression softened at the sound. “Wow. Okay. Oh, uh, are you looking for a certain part of Altean history?”

“No, I’m just reading.”

“Right, right. Well, if you need help with anything, I underwent the _princely education_ and have more history up here than I can use.”

“Oh. Uh, thank you. I...might take you up on that.”

Landor smiled. “Awesome. I...look forward to it.” There was a moment of silence as the pair looked at each other before the captain cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly. “So, uh, I’ll see you at training, Kythal?”

“Keith.”

The captain paused, brows furrowing. “Sorry?”

“That’s...that’s what my friends call me.” Kythal- Keith said, a gloved hand coming up to wave it off. “Uh, you don’t have to call me that, sorry I-”

“Lance.”

Now it was the Galra’s turn to be overcome with confusion. “As in the weapon?”

The captain smiled softly. “It’s what my friends call me.”

“Oh. _Oh._ Right.” The lieutenant cringed at his awkwardness and Lance grinned at it. _Cute._ “Lance, then.”

It wasn’t until he was leaving the library, face a shade darker and marks glowing slightly, that he let his brain go over what just happened. 

_What the quiznack?_

**↞ ↠**

Lance has a gripe.

Several. First off, _what the fuck brain?_ A Galra, seriously? Not just any Galra, no, but _a lieutenant in the Galra army._ Second, just...why? Lance has never been on the lookout for anything romantic, despite what others think of the flirting, and he just accepted that...he’d be stuck alone. Why all of a sudden has his brain decided he wants a romantic attraction and then went and chose-

“Keith!”

The lieutenant looked over his shoulder, hands pausing in putting his hair up. His brows furrowed, his expression softening upon seeing the captain. “Lance.”

And...that soft smile and voice were not helping the Altean’s situation. He hesitated, trying to regather his thoughts. “We never figured out the new training regimen.”

“Uh, no, we didn’t.”

“Right. So, I was thinking, maybe we could spar? It might help to understand, like, style differences.”

The lieutenant blinked, a smirk overcoming his feature. “As long as you don’t throw a fit when you get your ass kicked.”

“Funny, I was going to say the same to you.”

Keith raised a disbelieving eyebrow. The captain smirked, crossing his arms. 

The training room was empty, at least of Alteans- Ezor, Zethrid, Narti, and Acxa were sparring. Lance shook his head at the sight. “Do you guys ever _stop_ training?”

Acxa dodged a blow from Ezor, moving behind her and kicking out, throwing the other off balance. “Yes. We have to eat.”

“What about sleep?”

“Oh. That, too.”

The captain let out an amused scoff, looking over at Keith with disbelief, who shrugged. “What else would we do?”

“I don’t know.” Lance, said, waving a hand aimlessly. “Don’t you guys...have hobbies?” They all blankly stared at him. The captain blinked, dumbfounded. “Seriously? What do you guys do for fun?”

They all shared a look as if they were unsure of how to respond. Lance let out a noise akin to a squawk, gaping. “Do you guys _train_ for _fun_?”

They murmured an affirmative. Lance sighed. “Did you guys ever do anything as kids? Like, I don’t know, play games or something?” The Galra exchanged a look once again, and Lance sighed. This was getting out of hand. “Did you guys train when you were kids?”

They all nodded. Lance frowned. He could’ve sworn Keith had mentioned his dad being a scholar. Wouldn’t he have been raised to be one as well? Not trained to fight? Then again, Keith also said that as long as you could fight, the Galra didn’t care what you did. Was it a rite of passage then? “Kythal, you said your dad was a scholar?”

“My mom was a general.” Keith supplied, shrugging. “So…”

Lance blinked. What the actual quiznack. “Well...are there any cultural things- besides training- that the Galra do that’s fun?”

They were silent. _You’ve got to be kidding me._ “This is unacceptable.”

The Galra lieutenant’s brow furrowed. “Landor, what-”

“I’m showing you guys how to have fun.” He said it with finality, making sure to leave nothing up for debate.

“I thought we were going to train.”

“That was before I knew all you guys _do_ is train.”

“We were just taught to focus on survival.”

Lance frowned. How bad were things on Daibazaal that they taught their children how to fight? He looked from one Galra to the other, contemplating. Maybe them training as kids was a choice, but with everything Lance knows about the Galra, or thinks he knows, that doesn’t seem completely accurate. How much of that- the training their children to fight- was because of Altea?

He shook his head, trying not to worry about it too much. Right now, he was going to show these soldiers how to have fun- he could worry about more serious matters at a later date. 

The first thing on the captain’s fun agenda was to introduce the Galra to Monsters & Mana. He found the royal advisor on the observation deck, scrolling through the planets. He looked over his shoulder as the door hissed open and the group stepped in. He grinned, his orange mustache bouncing at the action. “Ah! Captain! It’s good to see you!”

“Hey, Coran!” The captain greeted, just as enthusiastic. “How’s the castle’s resident gorgeous man?”

The royal advisor brightened. “Excellent, my boy! Now, what brings you six here?”

“I was wondering if you have an MnM campaign ready to go?”

Coran looked at the Galra and grinned. “I might have just the thing, my boy.”

  
  
  


An agitated noise made its way past Keith’s lips. “That doesn’t even make sense-”

“It’s a game, it’s not supposed to make sense!” Lance shot back.

Acxa spoke up from where she was brooding in her chair.“I still don’t understand why my character can’t assassinate the king, I could, so-”

“But you are not your character.” Coran offered, twirling his mustache. The Galra scowled.

“GUYS!” Everyone turned to look at Zethrid. She took an interest in Monster’s and Mana almost immediately, and Lance was worried she might take it too seriously. “Who here has high charisma?”

Everyone turned to look at Keith, whose face drained of color. “Fuck.”

  
  
  


“You have to _seduce_ him, Keith.” 

“ _But why_?”

“So we can sneak into his study and steal the book!” Lance explained, hands waving in vague gestures. “In case you haven’t been paying attention, we need the book.”  
  
The Galra huffed, brows furrowing. “And we can’t do that now because…?”

“Because he’s in there, dumbass.” Zethrid snarled. Keith glared at her and threw a pair of dice at her face.

Ezor groaned, slouching her chair. “Just distract him, Kythal.”

“Why can’t we distract him some other way?” The lieutenant asked, looking desperately for a way out. 

“ _Kythal._ ”

  
  
  


“Wait, why can Landor sneak around assassinating people and I can’t?”

“He’s a thief and subclassed as an assassin. You, my dear, are a cleric. You heal your allies.”

“Hmph.”

  
  
  


“What do you mean, _how do I seduce him?_ ” Keith asked, horrified.

“You have to give me step by step here, Lieutenant,” Coran said, twirling his mustache with a gleam in his eyes. 

“Oh, gods.”

Ezor cackled.

  
  
  


Narti signed and Ezor translated. Whoever came up with that idea was an evil genius. All the Galra understood signing as far as Lance was aware, but during the game, Ezor took it upon herself and her character to translate for both Narti and their character.

The mute Galra signed, quick and precise. Ezor nodded. “Narti’s character tells Landor’s that his blood will fill a river.”

Keith snorted. “I don’t think you translated that right.”

Ezor scrunched up her nose. “And how would you know that? Your character doesn’t know Common Sign.”

“According to you, Narti’s character has also said ‘let me take you to the forest and show you the flowers.’”

“And as far as you are concerned, that’s what they said.”

Lance’s brow furrowed. “...Wait, was that a death threat?”

  
  
  


Needless to say, the game was entertaining. Especially when it came to Keith not understanding Altean biology. _That_ was especially entertaining. When Acxa pointed out Keith’s high dexterity, the Galra lieutenant just got more flustered. The game quickly turned into a competition of who could embarrass the lieutenant the most.

After the game, the girls and Narti decided to head off to, that’s right, train. They all seemed exhausted- going to what Lance had planned next would probably lull them to sleep. The departing group spoke to their lieutenant in a different tongue before heading off. Lance raised an eyebrow. “You’re sticking around?”

Keith shrugged. “I don’t have anything else to do.”

“You’re going to spend your free time with me?”

The Galra shrugged. Lance grinned. “Have you ever been to a play before?” The lieutenant’s brows furrowed, and that was all the answer the Altean needed. He sighed, shaking his head fondly. “I’m taking that as a no, and you are about to be enlightened.”

They never did get around to sparring.

**↞ ↠**

“We’re tagging along...why?”

“You’ve seen how Altea runs things. Once the peace treaty is finalized, the Galra will have representatives here, some of you guys might even move here, all that. The Castle is used to you guys now, but the citizens aren’t.”

“And us tagging along on a supply run will make them get used to us?”

“It’s called exposure therapy. We start small, and by the time the Galra move in, everyone will barely notice because they’re used to you.”

Keith frowned, glancing at Acxa. “And you chose us because…”

“Zethrid is intimidating, Ezor is terrifying, and Narti is creepy. You two look scary but less like you’ll kill someone right away.”

“...That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Would you take those three on a supply run?”

“I mean...maybe Narti.”

“Fair. We only need two other people, though. And I can hold a conversation with you two without fearing for my life.”

“We’ll see about that,” Acxa commented, loading a crate into the hover ship. She leveled Lance with a dubious look. The captain chuckled awkwardly, looking to Keith for confirmation that that was a joke. He didn’t give it.

“...Right. Is that the last of the supplies?”

“Yes, sir.” A soldier in the back said, giving Lance a thumbs up.

“Alrighty.” He looked to the Galra. “I’ll explain a little bit about the Hanyv Sector on our way there.”

The Hanyv Sector, Lance explained, was the poorest one on Altea. Though social classes were practically nonexistent on Altea from what Keith had seen, there were slight differences between the sectors. Recently, a small group took to stealing from and vandalizing buildings, dropping the sector’s wealth even lower. Apparently, the sector had been doing amazingly well before it started- Alfor had been slowly decreasing the aid he sent since they were able to take care of their own necessities. 

Soon after Alfor announced working on a peace treaty with the Galra, the rebel group had started acting out. They hope that once the rebels are caught the sector will get back on its feet fairly quickly, but until then Alfor is increasing his aid once again.

The group had taken to attacking the hover ships with supplies for the sector, so now a handful of soldiers are sent with the hovership to apprehend anyone who attacks it. (He emphasized the word ‘apprehend’ while looking at the Galra.) The attacks had decreased since this happened, and a few rebels had been caught.

“So, they’re rebelling against a peace treaty?” Keith asked, somewhat shocked. The hovership was large enough for Acxa, Lance, another soldier, and himself in the cockpit. The back was full of crates of supplies- the lieutenant wasn’t exactly sure what was in them, but food and clothing seemed like a given. The Altean soldier was piloting, leaving Lance free to explain the situation.

“Yeah. Not everyone is happy we’re making peace with the people who’ve been killing us for vargas.”

“It goes both ways.” Acxa commented.

Lance frowned slightly. “Yeah, I figured. Is something going on at Daibazaal?”

Yes, actually. Keith exchanged a look with Acxa. Zarkon had been keeping them up to date with political and economic struggles. Recently, a large part of their military had left and started to rebel against the royal family. It wasn’t something the Emperor would appreciate his lieutenant and soldiers sharing. He clenched his jaw. “Nothing important.”

“...That’s good.” Lance watched him for a moment, and guilt gripped at the lieutenant’s throat. He had a feeling the Altean could read his lies easier than he was letting on.

  
  
  


“We’re entering the sector now, sir.”

Lance leaned forward to look out the front window, squinting. He nodded, leaning back and addressing the Galra. “All we’re doing is unloading the supplies to the center. If you see anything suspicious, take note of it but don’t attack anything, alright?”

“You seem to have this idea that we’ll kill someone.”

“Uh, yeah? You’re both impulsive and I’ve seen you take out a level seven gladiator in one hit.”

Keith hummed. That was fair. He leaned forward to get a better look at the sector through the window. Around them was all flat land used for farming. Buildings were scarce and far between. The farther into the sector they got, they saw less farms and more shops and homes. The further into the city, the number of boarded up buildings increased. Keith frowned. 

The hovership came to a stop outside of a large building, which the lieutenant assumed was the center Lance had been talking about. There were a few Alteans waiting to help them unload, but other than that the streets were scarce. “Is it usually so...deserted?”

The captain looked at him as he climbed out of the ship. “Yeah. The majority of people headed farther to the outskirts after we realized everything happened in the heavily populated cities.”

“Does that mean the destruction will follow them?”

Lance shook his head. “No, these are just people who want to be heard, Keith. They haven’t hurt anyone- unless you count the things they’ve stolen and destroyed. They wanted Alfor’s attention and want to make sure he knows they’re unhappy, but…” The Altean clenched his jaw. “Alfor’s focusing on peace. He’s not worrying about a small group of unhappy people.”

“Is that why the Hanyv representative was upset at the meeting?”

The captain nodded, opening the back of the hovership. “Nobody likes being overlooked. This might be about the sector being so small they feel unheard in all political matters and the peace treaty is just the first thing that came along. Y’know? Everyone deserves to be heard, which is why Alfor has started sending Allura here once a week to help figure things out. That’s all I know until something’s officially announced.”

“Zarkon wouldn’t be caring this much.” The words slip past Keith’s lips against his will, but it’s too late to take them back. “He’d tell everyone to suck it up.”

The Altean chuckled. “Maybe Alfor’s tactics will rub off on him, who knows. Or you could just stay here.” The captain glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, attention falling away from the supplies. 

Keith’s mouth went dry. “We’ll see.”

**↞ ↠**

His reaction to the presence was instantaneous. After doing what he’s done for as long as he’s done it, knowing what’s going on in your sleep becomes a sixth sense. It’s saved his life on more than one occasion, knowing what’s lurking in the shadows and where they are. He was trained for years to constantly think about things like that- where everyone is, the fastest way to take them out- even in the dark. He hasn’t been in an actual state of sleep since he was young- before his training. 

Even that first day on Altea, walking from the ship, his brain had been calculating, evaluating, forming a plan to eliminate every person there and make a run for it. He’d like to blame it all on what he’d been put through, but he couldn’t deny the part of him, deep down, that wanted to leave all of this behind. Wanted to leave behind everything that led to another lost life at his fingertips, another mission that brought the downfall of civilization- he wanted to _leave._ Wanted to _start over._

Every training session, every meeting, every outing, anytime he did _anything_ his brain calculated that escape- calculated how fast he could get to his new story.

Alas, that wasn’t something he could do. He had no doubt the Galra could find him, no doubt that Zarkon would be furious over his best assassin leaving, and then he’d be punished. And the Emperor's punishments were a brand of their own, and Keith would rather not be the victim of one.

The thing he hated the most about this mask he wore, was how the Alteans treated him. Once both parties had moved past the first wave of uncertainty and suspicion, there was no difference in how the Galra were treated compared to the Altean soldiers. He hated to admit it, but he hated it. Hated that he wasn’t being honest with them- they didn’t know that with one word from Zarkon he would betray all of them.

And Lance...gods, don’t get him started on the infuriating captain.

Lying to him hurt the most. He wasn’t even sure why- the captain had barely spoken to him up until that moment in the library (which Keith avoided thinking of for the sake of his sanity), and yet anytime Keith opened his mouth to recite a lie, the truth came out. It..it was _annoying._ Made him want to lash out at the Altean so he’d be left alone and wouldn’t feel the temptation at all. But every time he tried, one look at that _infuriating face,_ and the words died on his tongue. As he had said earlier, _annoying._

After that moment in the library, Lance had started bugging Keith more often. They’d become sparring partners and without that tense air, they’d been able to figure out how to train their troops together. They’d also spent time together outside of training, which Keith looked forward to more often than not, even if it was just tagging along on rounds.

His hands found the familiar grip of his knife, body twisting, the edge of the blade pressing a warning into warm flesh-

You’ve got to be kidding him.

He glared, withdrawing the weapon from Lance’s throat. The captain grinned, hands held up in surrender. Keith scowled, lowering his knife and shoving it back under his pillow. The captain raised an eyebrow, an amused expression on his face. “Lance-”

The captain shushed him, holding a finger to his lips, which were carved into a mischievous smirk. Keith felt his brows furrow as he frowned. Suddenly he remembered that the others slept in this room, too. He set his jaw, annoyed at himself. _What?_ He mouthed.

 _Follow me._ The Altean mouthed back, slowly backing up and gesturing for Keith to follow. The Galra stared at him for a moment, only moving to follow after another insistent hand wave. The pair slowly made their way through the castle, the captain moving with a stealth Keith couldn’t help but admire. With his normal clanky armor gone, Lance moved almost as quickly and quietly as the lieutenant. 

Lance led him up a series of stairs, glancing back occasionally to make sure the Galra was still following. Eventually, they reached the top of a staircase, and after a series of more hallways, an attic. The pair had to crouch down to fit in the narrow space. Keith didn’t know why it was there in the first place, it was too narrow to be used for storage, more like a-

“Tunnel?”

“Yep! Allura and I found them when we were kids. They’re all over the castle. This one leads to the roof.”

“The roof?”

“Yep!” Lance reached up and grabbed hold of something, pushing at it, causing the roof to separate, a stream of moonlight flooding in. The Altean shot a grin over at Keith, before scrambling onto the roof.

The night air wasn’t as cold as Keith had expected. It was almost midnight, Altea’s three moons high in the sky. Stars shone down, watching them like a mystical chaperone. There was a soft breeze, and the Galra lieutenant instantly reached for the band on his wrist to put up his hair- he didn’t want to deal with it blowing into his face.

He walked out onto the roof, letting the trapdoor fall close behind him. Lance was already there, walking along the roof to a flatter section. He gracefully lowered himself to a sitting position, one elbow rested on his knee, his other hand braced on the roof behind him. Keith hesitated before sitting down next to him. “We’re up here...why?”

“Stargazing.”

Keith hummed, watching the captain that watched the stars. “Why?”

“Seriously?”

“Do you know the story of Atlas?”

Lance looked at him, brows furrowed. “The Titan in those old stories?” Keith nodded. “He...held up the sky.”

The lieutenant nodded again, looking away from the stars and over at the captain. “You remind me of him.”

“W-what?” He chuckled awkwardly, shaking his head. “That doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, Keith.”

The other man hummed, thoughtful. “He holds the weight of the sky on his shoulders. But, unlike you, he was punished to do so. You...you take the weight willingly. You hold up the sky so that everyone won’t be crushed. You hold up the sky so everyone is safe, and happy, and can live their lives.”

“I’m not a diplomat.”

“...What?”

“That’s...why I gave up the throne. Allura...you’ve met Allura. It comes naturally for her. _She’s_ a leader. A _diplomatic_ leader. She talks to people, solves problems, I shout orders.”

“I...Lance, you do all of that, too. You would’ve made a great king.”

“Yeah, but...she knows when to step away from something. Knows when it’s become a lost cause. Can focus on the majority...I can’t do that. If I can’t save everyone…”

“...What happened?”

“I...I’m too emotional to be a king, I think. I just...Father said it was normal for a king to have difficulties not saving and protecting all his people- I think that applies to everyone, in some sense- but I couldn’t do it. I don’t know if that makes any sense. It’s easier as captain of the guard, I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s just gotten easier, but...I prefer it this way. Allura will be a better leader than I’d ever be- at least of a planet. And I’m happy to be by her side every second of the way.”

“Okay, your turn for some deep shit.”

Keith frowned. “Deep shit?”

“Like...uh, tell me about Shiro?” The lieutenant felt himself bristol at the name, and Lance winced next to him. “Sorry. I didn’t realize it was a touchy subject.”

“He..died.” _No, he didn’t._ “In battle.” _That’s a lie._ “A few years ago.”

“Oh...Keith, I’m sorry.”

He shrugged. Once again he was filled with the desire, to tell the truth- like back at the library, when he told the captain about his dad- but he ignored it. Shiro’s whereabouts were one secret he couldn’t tell, one lie he had to tell. “I’m over it. Sometimes...it’s hard but I’m mostly over it.”

Lance hummed, thoughtful. “I lost my biological family when I was a kid. I get it. Sometimes you forget they’re gone for a while.” He smiled, something small and sad. “I used to wake up not remembering they were gone, and...it was like losing them all over again.”

Something twisted in Keith’s chest. Shiro may not be dead, but he understood that. Everyone thought he was dead except Adam and himself, and the former had disappeared months ago. The lieutenant’s throat constricted. They were both gone, on who knows what planet, and happy. Without him. 

He shook his head, trying to disperse those thoughts. It was selfish to think like that. He looked over and Lance, who was looking at him. “The day after Shiro disappeared, I forgot.” This was more comfortable, telling Lance something true and firm. Normally it was the opposite- there was a comfort in his mask. “I woke up and went to do our morning spar before breakfast...and he wasn’t there. Then it hit me all over again. I...It took a while for it to set it. That he’s gone. For good.”

“I’m sorry, Keith.”

The Galra shrugged, trying to feign nonchalance. “As I said, I’ve come to terms with it.”

Lance hummed, watching Keith intently. “It sucks.”

“Yeah. It sucks.”

The captain smiled at him, something almost fond. “I might not have liked it at first, but I’m glad you’re here. Really glad.”

The lieutenant’s chest squeezed something comfortable and giddy fluttering in his stomach. He opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. Lance laughed, which sent a tingle down the Galra’s spine. Wow, the Altean could do just about anything and Keith would turn to mush. He scowled, swatting the captain’s shoulder. “Shut up.”

“I…” He wheezed, trying desperately to calm down. “I’m sorry.” He failed, falling into another fit of laughter. Keith rolled his eyes, a smile making its way onto his face. He watched the Altean fall to pieces in his laughter, bending over and trying to catch his breath. “I’m sorry I...you’re so awkward.”

“Shut up.”

Lance chuckled, and Keith noticed how close they’d gotten. Somewhere in the conversation, the two had ended up sitting thigh to thigh, shoulder to shoulder. The Galra felt his face warm, and he looked away from the Altean. “Uh, we aren’t...watching the stars.”

The captain was silent for a moment. Keith felt his eyes watching him, and he made it a point to avoid meeting his gaze. He failed. Quite miserably. He’d been trained to defeat multiple opponents twice his size and he crumbled under the weight of Lance’s gaze? It was infuriating. “No, there’s something much more beautiful right next to me.”

Keith’s breath hitched, face warming. _He was not prepared for that._ He gaped at Lance, waiting for a punchline that never came. The Altean smiled, uneasy. “Was...that too forward?”

“N-no. Just...surprised.” Keith cleared his throat, glancing away. “I…” He forced his gaze to meet Lance’s. “You can’t just go around saying that to poor unsuspecting souls.”

The Altean laughed, and Keith could feel his breath against his lips. When had Lance moved closer? “Did you just call yourself a poor soul?”

“Anyone who has to deal with you daily is a poor soul.”

“Wow, rude. And to think, I was going to kiss you.”

“As much as I’d enjoy that, I regret nothing.”

Lance’s eyes snapped up to his- wait when did he look down- something akin to excitement flickering in the blue orbs. A smirk graced his lips, and then he was leaning forward, closing that last bit of space-

“Ow, fuck.” Keith hissed as a sharp pain vibrated through his skull, pulling away from Lance and holding his head. He glared at Lance, who was now in a similar position. After his pain had subsided, the Altean started laughing once again, still holding his forehead. The joyful noise made a smile grace the Galra’s lips.

“That was terrible.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Keith closed his eyes, the vibrating pain finally starting to dull. He looked up at Lance once he opened his eyes, the Altean chuckling and shaking his head. “We could...try it again?”

The captain looked up at him, grin softening into a smile. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

This time, Keith was the one to close that distance, to sew up the space between them with a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I refer to this as the fluffy chapter :3
> 
> Theories and incoherent screeches give me life so don't be afraid to leave those in the comments!!


	2. ii.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alfor continued speaking with Lance, king to captain. Keith found himself wondering if they ever had conversations as father and son.
> 
> The third beep.
> 
> It happened in the blink of an eye, the four other Galra in the room drawing their weapons and rushing into action. The room becomes a blur of movement, the Alteans too caught off guard to defend themselves properly. Each soldier goes down, one by one- Keith doesn’t let himself wonder if it’s unconsciousness or death that greets them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehehehehe >:3
> 
> also, just a quick warning before you jump in! i do talk a lil bit about politics and was venting a little through keith and lance during it, and though i wasn't venting about american politics specifically, it's still political. so if you need to skip it when it comes up pls do so <3 
> 
> here, lovelies, is the angst chapter

**ii.**

They decided it was best they kept their relationship a secret. Yes, they were referring to it as a relationship. It only took a week of awkwardly avoiding the topic, followed by an hour of painful communication. Landor didn’t want his soldiers causing any drama over it, and Keith just didn’t want the girls to know because...yep, not happening. Not to mention that if Zarkon knew…

The emperor had started spiraling into that power-thirsty headspace again, and Keith didn’t want that man to try and take advantage of anything. 

Except it became obvious very quickly that, somehow, word had spread. It was only gossip and rumors until the captain or lieutenant confirmed anything- which neither of them did. At least,  _ Keith  _ didn’t. It turned out he couldn’t say the same for Lance.

“Allura-”

“Oh, my, gods!! I knew it!!”

“Allura, say anything to him-”

The door to Landor’s room hisses open, an excited princess and exhausted captain on the other side. Keith raises an eyebrow, the look on Lance’s face morphing into mortification as Allura squeals. “I’m so happy for you two!”

The Galra’s gaze glides to Lance, eyes narrowing. “Seriously?”

“She’s my sister!”

The lieutenant scowls, causing the princess to giggle. “Oh, don’t worry about me. I’m an excellent secret keeper.”

Keith doubts that, but says nothing. The princess squeals once again, hugging her brother. She looks at the Galra after they part, a playful smirk gracing her lips. The lieutenant tenses as he’s suddenly enveloped by Allura’s arms. He looks to his courtier, who just grins and shrugs, leaving Keith to his fate. 

When the princess finally pulls away, Keith lets himself relax. She giggles, obviously noticing the Galran’s discomfort, turning back to her brother. “He’s not a hugger.”

“He’s not very touchy feely.”

Allura frownes- no,  _ pouts _ . “Oh, that won’t do.”

Lance chuckles. “Not everyone hugs the people they care about every second of the day.”

“Atrocious, if you ask me.”

“Yeah, well, physical affection is atrocious from my side of things.”

The princess hums. “I suppose that’s true.” 

The captain chuckles. “Hear that, she  _ supposes. _ ”

Keith can’t help the small smile he gives Lance at that. Allura makes a high pitch sound in the back of her throat. “ _ That’s so cute.  _ I thought you were incapable of smiling.”

“Allura!”

“What,  _ I did! _ ”

Lance looks at the Galra with a desperate apology in his eyes. The corner of the lieutenant’s mouth quirks as he raises an eyebrow. He doesn’t often see Lance like this. Maybe he could deal with Allura bugging them more often…

As if reading his thoughts, a panicked expression takes over the Altean’s face. “Hey, Allura! Don’t you have princess-y things to do?”

The princess crosses her arms, leveling her brother with a look of annoyance. “Don’t you have  _ Captain-y  _ things to do?” Lance sticks out his tongue defiantly, causing his sister to laugh. “Fine, fine. I’ll leave you two alone. Oh! Keith.” She leans in close, a glare targeted at Keith. “Hurt my brother, and I’ll make sure that no matter what part of the universe you are in, your life will be  _ very  _ unpleasant.”

He stands, silent, for a moment, trying to comprehend it. “Uh...Yes. Of course.”

She smiles, amused, before patting the Galra on the cheek and sauntering away.

**↞ ↠**

“Keith. You’ve been on edge all week. What’s wrong?”

The Galra didn’t even look up from his data pad. “Nothing.”

“Kythal.” It’s said as a sigh, the Altean sitting up on the bed and putting a hand on his lover’s shoulder. “Please talk to me.”

Keith glances over his shoulder at the other man. Blue eyes full of concern meet his, and he feels his walls crumble. He sighs, tilting his head to give a kiss to the back of Lance’s hand. “It's about Daibazaal.”

“That’s all I’m getting?”

“No, I just…” Keith sets down the data pad and his fists clench, too many different emotions coursing through his body for him to think properly. “I can’t explain it. It’s just..I’ll be fine, it’s just...been a while. I guess I’m...nervous?”

“Why would you be nervous about visiting home?”

“I...uh, it’s a lot different on Daibazaal then it is here. And, I don’t know, just...now that I’ve been here for so long there’s-” He glances at Lance, “certain things I don’t want to leave.”

“Aww, you like me.” The Altean teases, nudging him with his elbow. “But I’m coming with you, so you don’t have to worry about leaving me behind.”

Keith feels himself smile, though small, at the tease, only to instantly frown at the next bit. “It’s not _just_ you. It’s..Altea’s great, that’s all.”

“Zarkon didn’t say you’re coming back permanently, so there’s no reason to be worried about that right now.” He pauses, lips pursing. “Right?”

Keith hums. “Yeah. Right.”

“Hey…” Lance leans forward, bracing himself with an arm behind him, gentle fingers turning the Galra’s head so they’re looking at each other. “What’s happening on Daibazaal?”

The Galra clenches his jaw, shaking his head. “Nothing.”

A soft hand reaches out to caress his cheek. “You know you can talk to me about these things, right?”

Keith leans into the touch, relaxing a little bit. “Yeah, I know. It’s just politics. It’s fine.”

Lance smiles, small and sad. “If it’s bothering you and you want to talk about it- or need to- I’m here, _aemer_.”

“I know, Lance. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

  
  


Keith is still on edge the entire flight to Daibazaal. Though, there isn’t much of one since they can wormhole most of the distance. Lance keeps sending him concerned looks, squeezing his hand with his own as a way of comfort. The lieutenant musters up a smile, leaning over to give the Altean’s cheek a kiss. “I can hear you overthinking.”

“I’m thinking a perfectly normal amount, thank you.”

The Galra chuckles, releasing his courtier’s hand in favor of wrapping an arm around his waist, pulling him closer. He feels Lance relax against him, leaning into his side. “So I might be thinking _a little_ more than a normal amount.”

He hums an agreement. “I figured.”

“You being on edge is putting me on edge. Like, should I be terrified of Daibazaal? Because most people are happy to see their home after being away for so long and you don’t seem to be.”

“I am happy to see it.”

“As I said, you don’t seem to be.”

Keith hums. “I guess...I’m scared that once I’m there I won’t want to leave. But I don’t want to leave you either.” 

Lance smirks at that, hiding his face in the other’s neck. “You _like me._ ”

The lieutenant grunts, placing a kiss to the Altean’s temple. “I thought we settled that this morning.”

The captain laughs. “I like being reminded.”

The Galra smiles, soft and small. “I really like you, Lance.”

There’s a brief moment of silence, then high-pitch whine from the Altean. “Gods, _you asshole._ Stop making my heart melt.”

Keith laughs, pulling his courtier closer. 

  
  


Lance and one of his soldiers are the only Atlean’s Alfor takes with him. Zarkon had requested Keith come along as well. And the meeting was, well…

“Zarkon, the effects the experiments are having on your people-”

“It’s my planet! It’s enough when I say it’s enough!”

After the screaming match- ahem, _meeting,_ comes to a close, the Altean captain pulls Keith aside. “Do you want to get out of here?”

The lieutenant’s eyes narrow. “Don’t you have to follow Alfor-”

“He already gave me the go ahead. He’s going to check on how Honerva’s experiment is going and I quote, ‘keep his temper on a tight leash, so there’s no need to worry.’ I sent my guard with him, so I’m free for an hour.”

“Really?”

“Really. So, where’s some must see locations on Daibazaal?”

Keith grins, grabbing the Altean’s hand and dragging him away.  
  


“Galran food is so _weird._ ”

“Seriously? Alteans eat literal _green goo_.”

“That’s normal! Whatever I just ate _is not._ ”

Keith scoffs, shoving Lance playfully. “You’re impossible.”

“Thanks, I try. Hey.” Lance gestures with his head to something across the street. “What’s going on over there?””

The Galra follows his courtier’s gaze, tensing as his eyes land on the scene. “Oh.”

“Oh? What?”

“Nothing. Just ignore it.”

“Okay...but what is it?”

“Uh...someone was probably protesting.”

“...What?”

“We aren’t really...allowed to protest.”

Lance blinks. “You’re joking, right?”

“No. Zarkon is a petty bitch.”

“I still can’t tell if you’re joking.”

“Let’s just…” He grabs Lance’s elbow, pulling him along the street and past where the patrol officer’s are handling a group of Galra. There can’t be more than ten people, all forced to their knees and hands cuffed behind their backs. “Move on.”

“Wait, what’s going on?”

“Lance. Not now.”

“Keith.”

The Galra sighs, pulling Lance closer to him as they walk. “They were probably speaking out against Zarkon. Ever since the war started calming down and things haven’t started getting better, people have been upset.”

“So they’re getting arrested for _protesting_?” Lance pulls away from Keith just as they turn onto a different street. “That’s fucked up, Keith. Is this why you were worried about coming back?”

“...One of them.”

“Fuck. You could’ve talked to me about this! The peace treaty is signed now, Alfor would be more than happy to figure things out-”

“His solution would be to stop the empress’ experiments. He’d be blinded to anything else that could be the problem.”

Lance sighs, running a hand through his hair. “You don’t know that.”

“Even if Alfor was willing to look for other answers, I highly doubt zarkon would welcome the help.”

The Altean crosses his arms, frustrated, but didn’t argue. After a moment, his lips purse. “On the ship...you said you were worried that once you saw Daibazaal you wouldn’t want to leave again. If there’s things worse than this going on how could you ever want to stay?”

“You don’t understand how frustrating it is! Daibazaal is my home, and no matter how fucked up it is _I can’t just leave it._ It’s not perfect but it’s-”

“Not perfect?! Keith, we just saw people get _arrested_ for saying something a patrol office didn’t like. That’s worse than ‘not perfect.’ we should...report them or _something-_ ”

“We’re not allowed to.”

“Of course we’re _allowed to,_ Keith. You don’t blatantly abuse your power like that and _get to go free-_ ”

“Yes. You do. That’s in their power, Lance, they have to-”

“What do you mean _they have to_?”

“...Things are really strict here. If you speak out against Zarkon in public, you get arrested. If you speak out against any laws, or treaties, or...or anything Zarkon does _that’s what happens._ If a patrol officer even _suspects_ you plan on- protesting or- saying something they don’t like, they arrest you.

“The rebels on Altea might be causing a lot of trouble, but at least they’re allowed to rebel. And Alfor actually gives a fuck about what they have to say. We don’t get that same privilege. And people on Altea may fight and argue, but at least they are allowed to have their opinions and fight for what they believe in.

“For us it’s...Zarkon’s opinions or lockup.”

Lance is deathly still, brows pinched together. “...And you still want to stay here?”

“It’s my _home._ ”

“Keith, that’s...that’s not a home.” The Altean’s voice is impossibly soft. Keith hates the way it adds fuel to his anger’s fire, making it roar ever higher.

“See, you don’t get it. I grew up here, I know this planet like the back of my hand. I know it’s fucked up, but it’s hard to leave the place you’ve known your whole life. And you don’t get it because you grew up on a planet where-”

The captain scoffs. “Wow, yeah, I grew up in a palace on a _perfect_ planet so I don’t know anything-”

“You don’t! You didn’t know any of this was happening!” Keith gestures to the street they’re on. It’s mostly empty, though they grab the attention of the few civilians there. He can’t bring it in himself to worry about any patrol officer’s- Lance has immunity being Alfor’s son and captain, and Zarkon would bail Keith out like he always has. 

Lance sighs, rubbing his temples. “Keith that’s not fair-“

“How?! How is that not fair?!”

Something in the Altean snaps, his gaze eyes glossy over with something dangerous. “We knew things were bad here but were a bit busy trying to _survive constant attacks from your people_ to give a shit!”

Keith scoffs, crossing his arms. “Oh, wow, so much for that signature Altean compassion.”

The two stare at each other for a moment, several emotions passing through Lance’s gaze. After a long, tense filled moment, he huffs. He shakes his head, lacing his fingers together behind his neck. “I’m going to head back to the palace. Alfor is probably almost done, anyway.”

The Galra doesn’t try to stop him.

Keith fucked up.

Dear gods, he fucked up.

He paces outside of Lance’s door, hands running through his hair. He’s probably messing up whatever hairstyle he managed to get earlier, but can’t bring himself to care. Anxiety prickles in his stomach, sprouting vines that slithers through the rest of his body.

He should just knock.

He stops, staring at the door for a moment.

He should, but he’s finding it much more difficult to do than he planned for.

...He’s going to knock.

He raps his knuckles against the door twice, before backing up and bouncing on the balls of his feet. Why is this so nerve wracking?

A moment later, the door opens. Lance has already changed out of his armor, dressed in his civies. Though they’ve been courting for a good month now, Keith still finds himself a mess when he actually _sees_ Lance without the bulky armor. If the Altean notices the way Keith’s gaze trails the length of his body, he doesn’t comment on it. The Galra clears his throat, looking away.

“I, uh.” He clears his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. “.I want to make it up to you. From earlier. I can’t apologize and say I regret my position, because I don’t want to lie to you...but I hate that we’re avoiding each other. I hate it and I want to make it up to you, so please...come with me?”

Lance blinks, comprehending. “...Okay.”

  
  


“Keith, where are we going?”

The lieutenant hums, dragging Lance along by the hand. “It’s a surprise.”

“So, it may seem otherwise, but I actually _hate_ being on the receiving end of surprises.”

Keith stops, Lance stumbling slightly. He pulls the Altean against his chest, smirking at the little squeak it earns from his courtier. He leans in, stopping a breath away from a kiss.“Shut up and trust me.”

“Yep. Okay. Can do.”

The Galra’s smirk widens. “Good kitty.”

The Altean squeaked again, face turning a bright crimson. “You...can’t just say that. I…”

Keith laughs, leaning in and closing the short distance between them. Lance practically melts against him, arms finding their way around Keith’s shoulders with a content sigh. They pull away and the Altean buries his face in his courtier’s neck. “Wow, you really go all out when you want to fix things, huh?”

“Mhm. Now c’mon. I don’t want to be late.”

“Late for what?”

“It’s a surprise!”

  
  


“An ocean.”

“Yeah.”

“ _An ocean._ ”

“ _Yeah._ ” 

“ _Kythal. An ocean._ ”

Keith laughs, grinning at the bright smile and adoration filled eyes that take in the surrounding landscape. “Yeah. I remember you mentioned that before you lived in the castle, you lived near an ocean. I could tell you miss it. And, I know Daibazaal oceans are different from Altean oceans, but an ocean is an ocean...right?

“Gods above, I love you.” 

The lieutenant feels his jaw drop, mind blanking. “Uh. Thank you.”

Lance snorts. “Yes, Keith, that’s how you respond to that. You don’t- have to say anything. Uh, it kind of just slipped out-”

“Sorry, you just...caught me off guard. I...I love you, too.”

Lance’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink. “Oh. Heh. Neat.”

“Yes, Lance, that’s how you respond to that.”

“Oh, my, gods, shut _up._ ” Lance says, shoving his courtier playfully. “Can’t believe you. Gods.” The Altean rolls his eyes, his gaze then darting along the horizon. He laughs, moving to take off his shirt.

Keith feels his face heat up. “Lance! What-”

“I’m going to swim. Stop freaking out, it’s nothing you haven’t seen before.”

The Galra sputters. “ _I’m sorry but when a pretty boy strips I’m going to panic.”_

“What other pretty boys are you watching?”

“You know what I meant.”

Lance laughs. “Sorry, I like seeing you squirm.”

He finishes stripping down to his underwear- _dear gods_ \- and begins to bounce on the balls of his feet. “You’re swimming with me, right? Can Galra swim? I assume Galra can swim but you guys are freaky close to lions and- wait, can lions swim?”

“I can swim.”

“Awesome.” Lance grins. “Get naked, _aemer._ ”

“Nevermind I’ll go back to you being upset with me.”

“Nooooo, _aemer._ ” Lance grabs at Keith’s forearm as he walks away. The Galra does his best not to smile, but alas, he’s weak for Lance and it’s a losing battle. Meeting no resistance, Lance is able to pull Keith back to him. “We’re bonding.”

“Yeah, yeah.” The lieutenant huffs out a laugh. “I’ll swim with you.”

“Yessss.” Lance grins, pulling away from his courtier. “C’mon, I bet I can hold my breath for longer than you.”

Keith scoffs. He highly doubts that, but he’s more than willing to indulge Lance.  
  


Lance can, in fact, hold his breath longer than Keith.

Not that Keith minds, as the pair walk back to the palace, huddled together for warmth, water clinging to their skin. They make their way down the hallways, the palace’s faint purple glow and Lance’s marks their only source of light. The door to Lance’s room slides open, and the captain instantly collapses onto his bed.

“I really missed the ocean."

“Yeah?” The door slides closed as Keith walks in, sitting down on the bed next to Lance.

“Yeah.” He looks at Keith, blue marks glowing and casting an ethereal glow. “Thank you.”

The Galra smiles. “Anytime, Lance.”

Lance smiles back, sitting up and grabbing for his courtier. “Get over here, I want cuddles.”

The Galra laughs and goes willingly, cradling the other in his arms. The pair are silent, so much time passing that Keith begins thinking Lance fell asleep.

“I want…” The Altean whispers, shuffling closer to the lieutenant. “I want to stay with you, Keith. Whether that’s on Altea or Daibazaal or somewhere far away or...I just want to be with you. For...as long as I can.” 

“I want to be with you, too, Lance.” Keith whispers, resting his forehead against the others. “But I can’t.”

Lance sighs, his eyes closing. “Keith-”

“There’s...something I should tell you.”

“Okay…” The Altean’s eyes narrow. “What is it?”

  
  


_His father died when he was eight._

_He met Zarkon at the funeral. Though he was retired from the military, he was given a soldier’s goodbye as his soul traveled to_ Hin’jah. _His mother was there, which in his opinion only made things worse. She was off at war the majority of the time, and when he did see her she always seemed detached._

_The funeral was no exception._

_He remembers the resentment and anger he had towards her, especially that day._

_The funeral was far into the city. He barely recognized anyone there and, with no interest in following his mother around, got himself situated in a quiet corner._

_He was small and quiet enough to go unnoticed in social situations, and this was no exception. He just watched as the other Galra mingled. He hated how much they all were able to smile, talking about_ business _at a funeral._

_He scowled. They didn’t really care. Why would they? Just because he was a soldier didn’t mean people here didn’t forget he was Altean- and they all hated Alteans. The casket was launched and they removed their masks of grief._

_Typical._

_He growled low in his throat, crossing his arms and slouching. He’d picked a spot on the stairs leading down- no one would be heading to the basement and because he was a few steps down, no one would see him in passing. It was his usual seat when people were at his father’s library. When it was just the two of him he would wander around, grabbing books about stars off the shelf and climbing onto his father’s lap to see what he was working on._

_But his father_ wasn’t _here- his mother would probably sell the library after the gathering- and several people he didn’t know were._

 _There he sat, on the hard, cold wooden steps, as_ laughter _rang through the library. It all felt so wrong. It felt like a betrayal._

_“May I join you?”_

_The boy looked up, face flitting to surprise before resting back into a scowl. A Galran man stood at the top of the steps, tall and broad. He wore armor- as most Galra did, even outside of battle or training. The crimson metal glinted under the light, a dark purple cape flowing behind him. He smiled kindly, but the young Galra refused to believe there was an ounce of kindness in him.“No.”_

_The man chuckled. “Where are your manners, young one?”_

_The halfling's lips curled, revealing his small fangs. The older man quirked an eyebrow, amused. “Just go away.”_

_“Where are your parents?”_

_The man was clearly not getting the hint, which made the half-Galra even more frustrated. And slightly scared- he didn’t want to talk with his mother. He barely knew her and she hardly cared about him. “This is my father’s funeral.”_

_Maybe the older Galra would go away if he could score some sympathy points._

_“Ah, I see.”_

_Sympathy points scored._

_He wasn’t leaving._

_He was sitting down._

_The young one hissed, ears flattening as the man sat down on the top step. The boy was sitting two steps below, back against the wall and knees pulled up to his chest. The man ignored the hiss. “And your mother?”_

_“She’s not my mother.”_

_The man raised an eyebrow. “Last I checked, Krolia birthed you, did she not?”_

_“She might be my mother in blood but it ends there.”_

_“I see.” He tilted his head to the side, contemplating. “Yorak? Isn’t it?”_

_Yorak nodded, slowly and suspiciously. The man nodded. “I wouldn’t worry about that too much.”_

  
  


_His mother disappeared just before he turned nine._

_After his father’s death, she’d started taking him with her almost everywhere. He was trained with her soldiers and treated as one, too. Yorak was both relieved and confused when she went on a mission without him._

_“But why am I not coming?"_

_“It’s no place for a child.”_

_“That hasn’t stopped you before.”_

_In all honesty, Yorak wasn’t sure why he was fighting her. He never liked being treated as a soldier and, in all honesty, didn’t like following his mother around. Over time the gap between them only grew. He wasn’t even sure if it could be mended._

_She stopped, turning to look at him. He was out of breath from trying to keep up with her long strides. She cocked her head to the side, examining him like some sort of experiment. After a moment, she knelt down in front of him. “I’ve protected you for as long as I can, Yorak.”_

_His brow furrowed. “What does that mean?”_

_“I want to bring you with me, but the Emperor has put too many things in place this time that I can’t get around.”_

_“What are you talking about?”_

_She put her hands on his shoulders, forcing him to make eye contact. “I won’t be coming back from this assignment.” Krolia brushed back his bangs and he was startled by the motherly touch. “Everyone has masks they craft for different occasions, my boy. It’s time you learn how to wear yours.”_

  
  


_She never did come back from the assignment. And, despite himself, Yorak kept wishing she would._

  
  


_He was sent to the palace._

_That’s when his training began._

“Hey…” Lance reached out, cradling his lover’s face in his hands. Keith felt him wipe away tears- _gods, when did he start crying_. “It’s alright...you don’t have to talk about all of it right now.”

The Galra grabbed the Atean’s wrists, clinging. “Sorry, I-”

“Hey, hey. Don’t apologize. I don’t...fully understand what you’re telling me yet, but if it’s this upsetting to worry about, you don’t have to let it all out at once.”

“I...want you to know _why_.”

“Okay...I _want_ to know why but if it’s causing this much distress we can wait-”

“No. Once we’re back on Altea we won’t have time. With our patrolling schedules and…”

“...Alright.”

“I…”

  
  


_They changed him._

_His name._

_His hair._

_His personality._

_Molded him into their idea of a perfect soldier._

_He doesn’t remember all of it- had suppressed the memories long ago. From the moment he saw the man from the funeral sitting on the throne in the palace, he knew what his mother meant._

“I wouldn’t worry about that too much."

 _He wasn’t an adult invalidating his feelings and telling him not to worry. He was making a promise. Something he and all the other orphans realized was that Zarkon_ never _breaks a promise._

_They never got close to one another. Sometimes they’d wake up and one of them would be gone. It was better to not dwell, to go along with the system and do your best to survive._

_Despite knowing everything happening was terrible, Kythal still found himself being grateful. Other orphans were stuck in homes with poor funding and adults who didn’t care. He was living in the castle- and though the training he was put through put whatever his mother taught him to shame, made his bones ache- it was better than that._

_He was terrified, but he was terrified in comfort._

_Eventually he stopped being scared._

“Everyone has masks they craft for different occasions, my boy. It’s time you learn how to wear yours.”

_It was that one piece of motherly advice that got him through everything._

_The training was intense- he wasn’t just taught to fight. He was taught to deceive, seduce, manipulate, and kill._

_When you weren’t strong enough to handle it was when you disappeared._

_He crafted his first mask meticulously, making sure no one- including Zarkon- ever saw how broken and scared he was._

_He wore it so often, it became a permanent facade._

_His next masks he was taught to craft. Were molded into the perfect tools for whatever Zarkon asked them to do. It became apparent that he_ owned them, _in a sense._

_By the time he was eighteen, only five of them were left of the twenty they started with. That’s when their training had started being put to use. They worked from behind enemy lines, tricking and manipulating generals and soldiers and taking the Altean’s out from the inside._

_They ruined livelihoods, tore apart good names, and broke families._

_Then, they were sent to Altea._

  
  


“Holy shit.” Lance stares at his courtier with wide eyes, mouth open. “You’re-”

“Not a lieutenant.”

“ _Holy shit I’m courting a spy.”_

“Assassin.”

“ _Holy shit I’m courting an assassin.”_

Despite himself, Keith laughs.

“Wait, so is there some, like, pact that you won’t fall in love like that really old movie with the laser sword guys or something?”

“Not...exactly. But...a few years ago, Acxa got attached to a scholar on Olkarion and...when Zarkon found out, he made her kill them.”

“Oh.” Lance frowns. “That’s why...you don’t want Zarkon to know.”

The Galra nods. “Yeah…”

Suddenly, the Altean’s eyes narrow. “So...why did Zarkon send four assassin’s to Altea?”

Keith’s throat constricts. “We...don’t know yet. We could just be on Altea for precautions, or he could be...planning something. We won’t know until he gives us orders.”

“You just...do what he says when he says it?”

The assassin’s silence is answer enough for Lance, the Altean letting out an exasperated sigh as he runs a hand through his white hair. “That’s...terrifying.”

The Galra shrugs. “Yeah.”

“If Zarkon tells you to do something...will you? Even though we’re…”

Keith swallows, looking away. He doesn’t want to lie to Lance, but his answer isn’t one the Altean will enjoy. His eyes close and he shakes his head. “...I don’t know.”

**↞ ↠**

The blaring of the castle’s alarms bring Keith out of his sleep. ****

Lance is already sitting up next to him, lips pursed in a frown. They share a confused look before leaving the warmth of the blankets and donning their armor. They both race into the hallway, Altean and Galran soldiers joining them. The alarm continues to blare, the lights in the hall flashing a dangerous crimson. ****

They quickly make their way to the bridge, soldiers branching off to head to their posts. ****

The Altean captain reaches for his lover’s hand, intertwining their fingers. “Something happened to Voltron.” ****

Keith swallows, squeezing Lance’s hand as dread settles in his stomach. _Yeah._ ****

The two make it to the bridge, where the paladins of Voltron, princess, and Coran are gathered. Soldiers file in after them, taking up posts. Lance keeps moving forward until he meets Alfor. “What’s happened?” ****

The Galra soldiers silently file in. Alfor glances at them, eyes narrowed. “Perhaps our friends here know?” ****

 _Yes._ “No, your majesty.” ****

“Zarkon hasn’t contacted us in months.” Axca supplies. “The more extreme the experiments got, the less he reached out. And the less he started responding.” ****

Alfor nods hesitantly. “Zarkon has betrayed Voltron.” ****

The Alteans in the room gasp. Lance’s jaw sets, fists clenching at his sides. He looks over at Keith, a silent question in his eyes. _Did you know?_ Keith doesn’t answer. ****

Blaytz speaks next. “He’s coming to attack Altea. We have little time to prepare our defenses, so we have to move quickly.” He nods at Trigel. ****

“Without Voltron, and with Honerva’s experiment’s on the Galra’s side, it’s highly unlikely altea will survive. Our focus is on evacuation- get as many citizens as far away from the planet as possible. ****

“However, if my calculations are correct, we won’t get very far with our estimated time frame. Even with wormholes, getting every citizen on a ship will be difficult.” She purses her lips. “If one person were to stay behind, preferably an alchemist proficient in healing, they could hold Altea together long enough to get more citizens out.” ****

Silence. ****

“Father-” ****

“No, Allura. You’re too important to leave behind. The other paladins and I will be out fighting the Galra along with our soldiers. If I don’t make it, you’ll have to reform the shattered pieces of Altea.” ****

“Then I’ll do it.” ****

Keith tenses, looking over at his courtier. He...he can’t be serious. He looks at Alfor, who seems to be contemplating Lance’s proposition. ****

“I’m not letting you do that.” The words spill from his mouth before he can stop them. Lance looks at him, his expression a combination of offense and love. ****

“Yeah, well,” he says, looking away, “you don’t get to tell me what to do.” ****

Keith opens his mouth to protest, flabbergasted. _He couldn’t be serious._ “Are you even able to-” ****

“Of course I am.” Lance says, defensive. “Just because I’m not as well-rehearsed in healing as illusions don’t mean I can’t do it.” ****

The assassin’s throat constricts. _He can’t._ No, _Keith had a plan._ He had a plan that depended on getting Lance out of here because if anyone on Altea was going to survive, it’s Lance. Yes, it’s selfish, but honestly _Keith couldn’t bring himself to care._ If Lance was the center of the Altean’s plan… ****

_“The empress has died._ ****

_“I have a plan to bring her back that involves quintessence, but I need you five on the inside._ ****

_“Eliminate the paladins of Voltron and anyone else who stands in your way.”_ ****

Three beeps, too high pitch for anyone who wasn't Galra to hear. Keith's breath hitches, glancing at Acxa from the corner of his eye. Her grip on her blade tightens, knuckles shifting to a pink. ****

The first beep sounds. ****

He hears Ezor shift behind him casually, most likely feigning boredom, but Keith knows it’s for a better position to attack. ****

The second beep sounds. ****

Alfor continues speaking with Lance, king to captain. Keith finds himself wondering if they ever had conversations as father and son. ****

The third beep. ****

It happens in the blink of an eye, the four other Galra in the room drawing their weapons and rushing into action. The room becomes a blur of movement, the Alteans too caught off guard to defend themselves properly. Each soldier goes down, one by one- Keith doesn’t let himself wonder if it’s unconsciousness or death that greets them. By the time all the soldier’s are down, realization dawns on the others. Alfor goes for his bayard, but Acxa meets him there, throwing it out of the way and forcing him down to his knees. The others aim their weapons at Allura, Coran, and the other Paladins- Acxa’s blade at Alfor’s throat a warning for those who aren’t at the business end of a weapon. ****

It leaves Lance wide-eyed and confused, and Keith’s heart breaks as he forces his expression to shift into that perfected mask of indifference. ****

 _“If he becomes an issue, the Captain is yours.”_ ****

Keith draws his blade. ****

 _“A few years ago, Acxa got attached to a scholar on Olkarion and...when Zarkon found out, he made her kill them.”_ ****

Gods, that’s exactly what this is. _That’s exactly what this is._ ****

_“If Zarkon tells you to do something...will you?”_ ****

Time seems to slow down as Keith makes his decision, choosing his side. ****

He looks at Acxa. If anyone will understand, it’s her. He needs her to understand. ****

She nods, ever so slightly. ****

“I’m sorry.” He says, before rounding on Zethrid. ****

Acxa reacts instantly, dropping Alfor and turning to Ezor. ****

The assassin and Zethrid clash, but he manages to look at Lance. “Narti.” ****

Understanding flashes through his eyes and he moves away. Keith’s attention is brought back to Zethrid just in time to dodge what could’ve been a lethal blow. They’ve sparred since they were young- they know the other’s weaknesses and strengths. For the moment, his only concern is to distract her until- ****

A shot fires from behind, and Zethrid goes down. ****

 _Blaytz._ ****

“Don’t worry, it’s set to stun.” The blue paladin grins. “She’ll be out for a while, but she’ll be fine.” ****

“...Right.” ****

The other Galra lie on the ground, in a similar state to Zethrid. ****

Keith only looks up when Lance is grabbing his shoulder, forcing him to look the Altean in the eye. ****

“Keith, I need you to promise me you’ll get out of here. I don’t care if you fight the Galra or _run_ just _leave Altea._ ” ****

The lieutenant smiles, returning the kiss. He thought he’d moved past lying to Lance... “Okay.”

**↞ ↠**

The first thing Altea shows Lance is his family.

Not Alfor and Allura, his other family. His flesh and blood. He isn’t sure if the planet is trying to lend him strength or break his will, but at this point the lines all blur together.

He sees his younger self, his brothers and sisters-

He lets out a guttural scream. _Gods, no._

He sees his family, back when everyone was _alive_ and _happy._

Altea shows him celebrations, gatherings, game nights, everything he lost.

He tenses, preparing himself for the inevitable. For the moment he lost all of them to bombard his senses.

It doesn’t come.

Instead, Altea shows him it’s people. Shows him family’s from all sector’s celebrating. It shows them struggling through wars and celebrating when they ended. It showed them fighting for what they believe in.

_“They may fight, but at least they can.”_

Gods, there was something beautiful about that. Altean’s fought- they fought for what they believed in and it always came through with a good ending. It always ended happily and with the people satisfied.

Suddenly, hands are cradling his face, wiping his tears. He feels like he’s shriveling in his skin, decaying alive and everything _burns_. He sees amethyst, dark and swirling, clouded with water. “Stay strong, my Atlas.”

“...Keith.”

The Galra grins. “Yeah, baby, it’s me.”

“You…” Why does it feel like he’s underwater? Why does it feel like every piece of him is tearing, ripping, disintegrating, and yet like everything is numb? Like he never felt and never will feel anything? “You’re supposed to be...up there. You...you promised you wouldn’t stay…”

The hands caressing his cheeks wipe away more tears. Gods above, he must look terrible, if going off how he felt was anything. “I lied.” He says simply. “It’s either we both stay or we both go. And you’re too stubborn to go.”

Lance choked on a sob. “You can’t die. You can’t. I couldn’t handle it.”

“You’re the stubborn asshole who signed the death warrant the minute you agreed to this.” Keith tilts his head, resting his forehead against his lover’s. “ _I_ couldn’t handle it. We’re going down together, or we don’t go down at all.”

Lance shakes his head, squeezing his eyes shut. “No, no, no, no. No, Keith, no, please, go back, no, no, no-”

They embrace one last time as the world burned around them.

**↞ ↠**

_“10,000 years ago, the Galra attacked Altea. Accepting defeat, but hoping to fight another day, the King spread the word so his people could escape. One man was tasked with holding together the world.”_

**↞ ↠** _  
_

They find the pair deep into the search.

After Altea’s destruction, the Blade started looking for anything that may have survived- escape pods, ships, anything someone could have used to escape. 

They weren't expecting two men encased in magic.

“Sir?” Kolivan looks over his shoulder at Antok, who stares at his data pad with furrowed brows. “You should see this.”

Kolivan dismisses the Blade member he’s speaking with, heading over to Antok’s station. “What is it?”

In response, Antok moves his data pad so Kolivan can see it better. “We found survivors.”

The data pad is tapped into one of their ship’s cameras, focused on the pair. A half-Galra and Altean are embracing, encased in a shimmering blue substance. The Galra is dressed in what the Blade leader recognizes as Zarkon’s assassin’s armor. The Altean is dressed in armor of the royal guard, a signet on his chest plate identifying him as Captain. Kolivan’s brow furrows as he takes the data pad from Antok, squinting as if that will help him comprehend it better.

Because, honestly...what the quiznack?

“Do we have any Altean Alchemists on board?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Have them examine the casing.” After Antok nods, Kolivan continues. “And find Krolia and Shiro.”

An expression of surprise takes over the other Galra’s face. “You’re sure it’s him?”

Kolivan nods. “And if this Altean really is the prince...the rebellion may just have a chance.”

**Author's Note:**

> Eyyyy. I fell in love with this AU the minute the idea came to me, and I hope y'all like it, too! I ended up splitting this in half (was originally a one-shot) and I'll be posting updates on my tumblr, @spartona. 
> 
> Another shoutout to my beta, Bitter. Thanks for all your edits and encouragement.
> 
> Again, happy birthday, Soap! I love you and hope you have a great year! Thanks for being such an awesome friend, and I hope this made you smile.
> 
> Give some love to these two amazing people in the comments, we shall shower them with love!


End file.
